


Delayed

by SummerBummin



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Ftlgbtales Happy Holigays, M/M, Tumblr: FTLGBTales
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-14 00:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16902207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerBummin/pseuds/SummerBummin
Summary: Gray Fullbuster is in the airport on Christmas Eve and his flight gets delayed because of a snow storm. Gray now has 4 hours to burn and no one for company, that is until he encounters a sleeping pink haired guy, who is hogging multiple seats.





	Delayed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiyuTanemura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiyuTanemura/gifts).



"I'm sorry, your flight has been cancelled due to an incoming snow storm, the next flight to Toronto, Canada is in four hours at gate D seven. Thank you for choosing our airline.” 

Gray took a deep breath, inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. When he believed himself calm enough to speak without screaming, he said, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

The woman's smile faltered but other than that she kept her composure, probably used to these kinds of reactions by now. "We can't control the weather, sir. Merry Christmas." Her voice was so cheerful it was painful.

"Merry Christmas, my ass." Gray muttered under his breath as he stomped away from the airport information desk. 

‘Looks like I’ve got four hours to burn.’ It wasn't like he could go back home either, by the time he got through all the traffic he'd have to turn around and go right back to the airport. 

Was it really worth it? Did Gray really wanna see his siblings that badly? They'd probably pick on him the whole time anyways. 

But he'd already bought a ticket to Toronto, the city where his siblings still lived. Gray, Lyon, and Ultear had grown up in there, and spent their fair share of the winter holidays goofing around in the forests on the city outskirts. 

Gray, despite himself, chuckled, remembering the way Ultear had shrieked when he dropped snow down her coat. Gray had always been the most mischievous of the trio, but some of the things his siblings caught worked up over was ridiculous. Like Lyon and his hair gel. He’d acted like someone had died whenever he ran out, and would be down in the dumps until he got a new bottle. He was ridiculous. But to be fair Ultear was just as ridiculous about her conditioner. ‘My hair isn't just this silky on it's own, Gray! You think I want it to be a mess like yours?’ He was related to a bunch of hair care freaks. 

Now they were all grown up, and all three of them had moved out of their childhood home, Lyon had left the rural area and moved into a townhouse apartment smack dab in the middle of the theatre district, and Ultear was busy running her jewelry shop, famous for their beautifully crafted watches. 

Gray however, was stuck in the United States, still on his student visa for college. 'And now I'm stuck in an airport that reeks of fast food grease, stale coffee, and age old upholstery; Merry Christmas to me.' 

His eyes scanned over the food stalls lining the wide walkway. All the trademark brands, McDonalds, Chick-fil-a, Starbucks, and more! 

He should probably find his gate. Gray tore his gaze away from the fast food. No matter how much his mouth salivated, his stomach wouldn't be able to handle much more grease in his system. Why was the food here so unhealthy? This is why they have such a big problem with obesity and heart attacks. One more Double Mac was all it took. 

Gray’s shoes squeaked against the tile, still not fully dried from the snow he’d steeped in outside. The infernal screeching stopped as he moved onto the green and navy carpeted areas, transitioning from the place trying to sell their wares to air travelers, and to the place that housed the gates. 

His eyes roved over the signs as he walked past, paying more attention to the the glowing words than where he was going. C four, C five... D six, and D seven! Gray sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair as he found his gate, the seats were packed. Currently the flight about to leave was to New York, the big apple. 

'I just wanna go home' Gray's inner voice groaned miserably, and he had to overcome the overwhelming desire to kick a chair. 

He trudged down the isles of seats, searching for an unoccupied seat. There were all types of people seated in the rows, seniors, adults, teens, and children. They all shared one thing, they all had the same aura of exhaustion around them. Gray almost snorted at the irony, it was Christmas Eve and all the holiday spirit had been defeated by jet lag. 

His feet ached in his sneakers, and his shoulder throbbed, the weight of his duffel bag seeming so much heavier than before. Gray was internally debating the pros and cons of sitting on the floor when he came upon a young man with pink hair laying across two seats, head rested atop a backpack, his quiet dozing interrupted by the occasional puff of air out his mouth. 

It would've been cute to most, but not Gray, right now he was more annoyed at the person selfishly hogging a seat his ass could be sitting in. 

"Oi!" Gray tapped the man's legs and he lurched up, startled. 

"Did I miss my flight!" He exclaimed, rattled as he fumbled through the pockets of his sweatpants. He finally pulled out his phone, clicking the power button and sighing with relief as he saw the time. The pink haired man slumped in his seat, a hand over his heart, then cocked his head over to look at Gray. "Dude, you nearly gave me a heart attack, what's your deal?"

"Uh..." Gray shifted in place, rubbing the back of his neck, maybe he shouldn't have been so forthcoming and just sat on the floor. He huffed, deciding to just get it over with, rudeness aside. “Do you really need two seats?” 

The man blinked at him, then seeming to catch his meaning, gasped. "Oh! No, I don’t- you can sit here." Frazzled and embarrassed, he grabbed the straps of his backpack and hauled it into his lap, so that the seat would be free. 

 

Gray didn't need any further invitation, he collapsed into the seat, groaning, the duffel bag slipping off his arm and tumbling to the floor. Finally some rest for his poor limbs. 

"I'm Natsu, by the way." He ran a hand through his spiky pink hair, his cheeks flushing. "Sorry for being a seat hog." 

Gray snorted, "I'm grateful you did, or this seat might not have been available for me." He settled further into the seat as a way to prove his point, wiggling his ass, "Oh, and I'm Gray."

Natsu smiled. "Nice ta meet ya, Gray!"

"So where are you going on this fine Christmas Eve?" Gray drawled sarcastically, flourishing a hand through the air. Gray shivered as he realized how dramatic he'd just been, Lyon was starting to rub off on him. 

"Are you cold?" Natsu asked, mistaking the reason for his shiver, he leaned over and started to unzip his backpack, eager for a reason to get back in Gray's good graces. "Because I have a spare jacket with me-"

"No need." Gray cut him off, chuckling at the mere idea of himself being cold, remembering all those times his friends from Uni had called him crazy for going outside in only a tank top and basketball shorts. a memory flashed in his mind, of his best friend, Cana, pointing her half full beer bottle at him and declaring: ‘You sir, are one crazy mofo, going out like that.’

Natsu looked up at him, a confused frown creasing his face, the sleeve of the jacket he'd been holding slipping through his fingers and falling into the backpack. 

"I'm from Canada so I have a bit of an immunity." Gray explained, the long sleeved flannel he wore was the most layers he ever had on. Two tops what's a rule he stuck with. The real ‘crazy mofos’ were the ones that wore multiple layers and looked like round snowmen. 

"Canada!" Natsu’s jaw dropped. "Dude, that's where polar bears live!"

“Uhh… I think your thinking of the Arctic, it's a bit further north-”

“Is it true you have bagged milk? And that you keep moose as pets- oh and that you use maple syrup like ketchup!” Natsu gasped, his eyes lighting up like stars. “Do you put it on burgers?”

Gray recoiled at the enthusiasm, not expecting that reaction. Most people made a crack about their hockey competitiveness, or whistled and said they could never live somewhere that cold and admired Gray for being able to. He'd heard maple syrup jokes before, but this was the first time he'd been asked if they kept moose as pets. 

Natsu went on and on, each question more outlandish then the last. ‘Do lots of people get their tongues stuck to ice pops? Do you use the snow from the ground to put in your snow cones? Do you eat bear meat?’ Somehow the questions had taken a turn into what kind of food Canadians ate. 

Gray could only stare at Natsu, looking flabbergasted and sitting there like an unresponsive dumbass. 

Finally catching onto Gray's lack of a response, Natsu stalled in place, as if checking himself. "Sorry, am I being annoying?" 

Natsu seemed to shrink, his shoulders caving in and knees folding up to his chest. His fingers drummed against his thigh, as if it was a struggle to stop moving once he got going. "My cousins always get onto me about that. I tend to scare people away," He huffed a self depressing laugh. "Gajeel says when I get excited I'm like a squirrel on crack cocaine, stupid metal head." 

"What? N-no." Gray tried to protest. He wouldn't say Natsu was acting like a squirrel on crack cocaine, he was more like a kindergartener who'd had to much sugar. 

"Yes." Natsu countered, not buying Gray's protest one bit. "I was creeping you out, I know I was." He ducked his pink head. "That always happens when I go unchecked. The airport doesn't allow people to bring in medication so my ADHD is on overdrive. When I finally get on that stupid plane I can bet the person I'm seated next to will want to murder me."

Gray leaned back in his seat, folding his arms behind his head. "If I was seated next to you I can promise I wouldn't murder you." 

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yep, I would never murder someone when there's witnesses." Gray made a good show of shaking his head, as if scoffing at the very idea. It was a struggle to suppress his smile. "Sloppy workmanship." 

Natsu was starting to smile as well. "Of course. Who would ever be so careless?" 

"Amateurs, that's who." 

"Oh, but you’re a refined sort of murderer." Natsu played along, now smiling fully, the person who'd been curled up in a ball long gone.

"The kind that makes all the ladies swoon." Gray winked at him. "And all the men." 

Natsu cackled at that. Then once he'd calmed down he turned to Gray. "My flight isn't for two more hours, you wanna…uh...” Natsu looked away, cheeks coloring the same shade as his hair. “...go get something to eat?" 

Gray's stomach swirled with butterflies, and he prayed that the warmth crawling up his neck didn't show. "Something with maple syrup?" He joked, trying to break the icy tension that came with what Natsu was suggesting, the fear of a cold rejection. 

"Really?” Natsu perked up, eyes brightening. “So I was right about the maple syrup!"

Gray barked a laugh. "Not even close." And Natsu deflated, muttering, God dammit. 

"But..." Gray took Natsu's hand in his, still warm from the time it had spent under Natsu’s head when the pink haired man was sleeping. "I can tell you about what Canada is really like... and maybe you can tell me about where you're from." 

Natsu smiled at him, dimpled cheeks rosy. "Sounds like a plan."

-

Once those two hours were up and Natsu was about to leave, he shoved something into Gray's hand and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. 

“Bye!” Natsu squeaked, red faced, then turned around and ran to his gate before he missed his flight. 

Gray touched a hand to his cheek, at the ghost of a kiss that still lingered. Exasperated with himself for being such a sap, he looked down at his feet and unfolded the piece of paper Natsu had hurriedly shoved into his hands. A phone number, the digits written out in sparkly gel pen ink. 

Gray signed to himself as he fished out his phone and put the number into his contacts. The roaming charges from Canada are sure to be a bitch, but the fee was worth it if he got to talk to Natsu again.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holigays, Miyu! You’re my plot bunny queen! I hope you enjoy your gift! Planning and writing this fic was super exciting. It was amusing writing Gray as 100% done exhausted college student and Natsu as a flustered gay. Bless. 
> 
> To everyone else reading this make sure to go check out everyone else participating in ftlgbtales happy holigays and read their amazing fics. Merry Christmas!!!


End file.
